Tombstone of Famed Rabbi Damaged in Prostějov

A tombstone of a well-known rabbi at a former Jewish cemetery in Prostějov (250km from Prague) has been damaged.

A Jewish foundation said Friday it discovered earlier this week that the tombstone of Prostějov Rabbi Zvi Horowitz, who died in 1816, was broken into two pieces.

It was installed at the site in 2013 by New York philanthropist Louis Kestenbaum.

The cemetery was destroyed during the Nazi occupation and is currently a public park. It has been controversial due to recent efforts to rehabilitate the site after some of the original tombstones were discovered in Prostějov and nearby villages.

Many locals, including town officials, oppose any changes. The controversy has been accompanied by an unusual outburst of anti-Semitism.